Star Trek: Excalibur: A New Beginning
by missmissa85
Summary: The adventures of Starfleet's youngest captain at 26, Aria Barclay, and her crew of familiar and new misfits. Follow them as they attempt to come together to rebuild their lives after a horrible tragedy strikes their beloved vessel
1. Honors

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Star Trek. Many of the characters in this piece are not mine either. This is also not related to the New Frontier books as I had no idea that the ship in that series was called Excalibur.

This is a whole different, yet familiar Star Trek. It features a cast of mostly original characters, and some minor characters from the different series, including Wesley Crusher, Alexander Rozshenko, and Vorik (from Voyager whom I am also pretending is Taurik from Next Generation). Several other Trek characters will drift in and out as the story progresses. This five chapter story is kind of like a pilot. The following stories with these characters will be separate and more episodic in format. Thank you for reading and please comment.

* * *

Aria Barclay felt as though she might spew the contents of her stomach at any moment. Admiral Janeway had just placed the Christopher Pike Medal for Valor around Ian's neck. Dr. Wight and Kana Mair were already smiling and eyeing the medals around their own necks. She would be next. She stole a glance at Wesley, who was sitting ont he front row. He was grinning back at her. She determined to look somewhere else.

She tried not to look Admiral Janeway in the eye as she placed the medal around Aria's neck. As the admiral shook her hand, however, Aria couldn't help but notice the wry smile the older woman gave her.

Admiral Janeway returned to the podium facing the thousands of people in the audience. "I must present the final award this evening to a great man," she began.

Aria suddenly felt the urge to bolt from the stage. Surely she wasn't going to announce this in front of half the Federation. Was this possibly Janeway's method of forcing her to take the assignment? She looked at Ian and the others. They seemed slightly uneasy as the admiral continued.

"Captain Jonah Bragg gave his life defending his crew," Janeway said.

Aria clenched her jaw remembering how the captain had pushed her away from a falling bulkhead.

"Jonah leaves behind no family and no children to pass on his legacy," the admiral continued. "And so tonight, I have the solemn duty of presenting the Starfleet's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, to his successor, the new commanding officer of the starship _Excalibur_, Aria Barclay."

Aria felt rather than saw every eye in the place lock onto her. She struggled to maintain her composure as Admiral Janeway placed a small, mahogany box in her hands. Inside lay a silver star emblazoned with the Starfleet insignia.

"Take good care of her," Janeway whispered.

A tear threatened to escape from Aria's eye. "I'll get you for this," she promised.

Janeway smiled brightly. "You can try, Captain," she answered. "You can try."

Ian Lavenham rushed off the stage after Aria. "Aria, wait!" he called having to almost run to catch up. "Why didn't you say anything."

Aria quickly turned on him. "I hadn't accepted the assignment!"

Ian stopped so suddenly, Dr. Wight and Kana Mair almost bumped into him. They were all looking at Aria as though she were a different person from the one she was five minutes ago.

Quietly, Aria said, "They offered me _Excalibur_ yesterday. I hadn't given them an answer, although, apparently one has been given for me."

"I can't believe you even had to think about it," Ian said rather boyishly.

Aria set her jaw angrily and tightened her grip on the small box in her hand. "Lieutenant, Doctor, Ensign," she said to each of the people facing her, "you should get to the reception before you're missed."

Kana and Dr. Wight each took a hold of Ian's sleeves and gently pulled him away. Admiral Janeway cautiously approached, her wry smile still present. Aria's grip on the box tightened even further to keep her from decking the woman.

"That's the way to handle things when you're angry," Janeway told her. "Just send them away."

"Why are you so determined to make me _Excalibur_'s captain?" Aria asked, anger boiling into her throat and into her words.

"Jonah was an old academy friend of mine," Janeway began. "A few months after you were assigned to _Excalibur_, he was writing me singing your praises. He told me how you saved the lives of everyone in engineering including your first officer."

"It didn't do much good," Aria said. "He got himself killed in a shuttlecraft accident eighteen months later."

Admiral Janeway obviously suppressed a smile. "Commander Mattingly was...prone to such accidents. Jonah wanted to make you his first officer then, but Starfleet Command thought he was being a little rash. I was the only one who was supportive of his choice."

Aria's eyes widened in realization.

"After your actions in the battle, I was able to sway the rest of the admirals," Janeway finished.

Aria shook her head doubtfully. "Why would you put your reputation on the line for me?"

"I didn't do it for you," Janeway answered almost harshly. "I did it because that's what Jonah wanted, and I believe it's what's best for _Excalibur_."

Aria shifted her feet uneasily. Janeway held out her hand and revealed two gold pips that twinkled in Aria's eyes.

"These are going to bring you a lot of fame and notoriety, but they'll also bring you a lot of responsibility," Janeway warned.

Aria would be the youngest captain in Starfleet history at age 26. Even Jean-Luc Picard was nearly thirty when he took command of the _Stargazer._

"I'll take that responsibility, Admiral," Aria answered solemnly.

Janeway smiled as she pinned the pips on Aria's collar. "Now it's your turn to get to the reception. Almost everyone will be wanting a moment of your time."

Aria smiled sheepishly and walked away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Admiral Ross walked out of the shadows and stopped next to Admiral Janeway.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Kathryn," he warned.

"I think I do, _Bill_," she answered sarcastically. "She'll make a fine captain."

"Did you tell her the truth," he asked, "that she and her crew are on a probationary period for one year?"

"That's not an official condition of her command," Janeway answered. "Besides, we need to see how she acts without threats of demotion hanging around her shoulders."

"I hope you're right about this girl," Admiral Ross said.

Admiral Janeway slowly turned toward him. Her anger was evident in her eyes. "She's a Starfleet captain, Admiral. She deserves as much respect as any other man or woman of that rank. I request you make sure she gets it."

Admiral Ross' eyebrows lifted at Janeway's stern tone. "Understood, Admiral."

A corner of Admiral Ross' mouth lifted as he watched Admiral Janeway march off.

* * *

"_Captain_ Barclay, welcome to the party!"

Aria tried to hide a grimace. Captain Riker had obviously already had a few synthehols. Aria couldn't help but smile, however, when the large bearded man put an arm around her shoulders.

"Tell me, are you related to Reg Barclay?" he asked as he led her toward a gaggle of senior officers from the _Titan_, including Wesley Crusher.

"Yes, actually," Aria answered uncomfortably. "He's my half-brother."

"Really?" Captain Riker acted as though he were going to continue, but his wife's hand on his arm seemed to silence him. Aria breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Captain," Aria said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, "I wonder if I could borrow Mr. Crusher from you for a moment?"

"Just so long as you bring him back," Riker laughed.

Wesley smiled and followed Aria a few feet from the group. "Don't mind Captain Riker," he told her. "He's just not used to real champagne."

"Would you like a promotion?" she asked him quietly.

Wesley raised an eyebrow. "A promotion on top of a court martial for dereliction of duty; interesting concept," he said, grinning widely.

Aria rolled her eyes. The hearing for his court martial was the next day. He had a good story though. The last decade for Wesley read like a spy novel. He had returned to earth a broken man after the Dominion captured, tortured, and killed his mentor, the Traveler from Tau Ceti. He had been drawn to Aria for reasons he did not know at the time.

Aria too, was once one of the Traveler's students. She was brilliant-entering the Academy at fourteen and achieving her commission at sixteen. Unlike Wesley, she had stubbornly decided to follow her own path. Their shared abilities, however, linked them together inextricably.

Aria kept Wesley safe until he could function once more in the dimension he was born in. She then spoke with the Admiral she was working for at the time, and Wesley was quite unceremoniously readmitted to the Academy. He got on a fast-track and completed a year's worth of work in about a semester. His specialty was engineering, but Starfleet requested the use of his "abilities" in an intelligence operation, and Wesley once again seemingly disappeared.

Aria didn't hear from him again until two years after the Dominion War had ended, at which time she was working on Qo'nos. Wesley was out of the intelligence racket permanently, he hoped. He was at more serious, yet he was far more fun-loving than he had been for the whole course of his life. He was on temporary assingment at the Utopia Planetia shipyards. He was working on the new _U.S.S. Titan_. When it was completed, he was going to be serving on the ship under Captain Riker. Aria was delighted he had gotten back in touch with his mother and extended family on the _Enterprise_.

Wesley served admirably for the next two years, even earning a promotion to junior lieutenant, but his activities in Starfleet intelligence finally caught up with him. He was being followed and he knew it. He disappeared again after hastily leaving a request for an indefinite leave of absence on Captain Riker's desk. Riker granted it, of course, to save Wesley's career.

He was on the run until the radical Grey Hawks, whom he infiltrated a few years previous, caught him. He was tortured for weeks until the Romulans, Grey Hawk allies, requested him for experimentation. _Excalibur_ managed to rescue him at a very high price.

"They're dropping the dereliction charges and you know it," Aria said finally.

"What's the catch?" Wesley asked.

"There'd be a transfer involved," she told him.

"You'd be my captain?" he said jokingly.

Aria jerked her head back toward Captain Riker's entourage. "Do you think you'd be able to finally leave your family?" she asked him.

Wesley's jovial manner suddenly became quite serious. "For you," he began, "I think I could."

"Come to my quarters in a couple of hours," Aria ordered. "I suppose this will be my first staff meeting. We're going to discuss promotions and open positions. I'll request your transfer from Captain Riker as soon as he's...sober."

Wesley laughed. "Are you gonna hold onto that thing forever," he asked, indicating the box containing Captain Bragg's medal.

Aria glanced down at it. "I'll have to find some place to put it. Along with this thing." She adjusted the medal hung around her own neck. "You have two hours, Wes."

"Yes, Sir."

Two hours passed at a snail's pace. Aria had glad-handed almost everyone at the reception, fumbling around with Captain Bragg's medal the whole time. She ripped off her own medal and her dress uniform as soon as the doors of her quarters slid shut behind her. She tossed the medals onto a nearby bureau unceremoniously. She made a mental note to find a display case or something.

Every muscle in her body ached as she put on her regular uniform shirt. She hadn't realized how tense she had been for the last few hours. She left the shirt open and plopped down in the nearest chair. She dimmed the lights and tried not to look at her surroundings. Her quarters were still strewn with PADDs full of reports and clothes and various little objects she hadn't bothered to pick up after the battle with the Romulans.

Aria ran the battle through her head for the thousandth time. She often wondered if she shouldn't have convinced Captain Bragg to enter the Neutral Zone. She wondered if there was anything she could have done to prevent the deaths of fifty-three men and women, including her captain. Explosion after explosion replayed through her mind in slow motion.

The door chime pulled her out of her reverie. "Come in," she called as she sat up.

All the air escaped from her lungs when the doors slid open. Embarrassed, she wrapped her shirt around herself and stood up. "I'm sorry for the state of my quarters, Captain. I haven't had a chance to really clean up."

She could see the smile spreading across his face as he stepped into her room. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Captain," he told her. "These quarters won't be yours much longer anyway."

A shiver ran up Aria's spine. She hadn't thought of moving into Captain Bragg's quarters. Kana or Ian would probably wind up in hers.

"May I ask what you're doing here, Captain Picard?" she asked directly.

He indicated the sofa. "May I?" he asked.

"Of course," Aria answered as she reclaimed her own chair, holding her arms close to her stomach to keep her shirt closed.

"Do you think you're ready to command a starship?" he asked her quietly.

Aria felt a different sort of heat flushing her cheeks. She crossed her arms across her chest. "Why do you want to know, Captain? It doesn't seem to be any of your business really," Aria said. "Or did Wesley tell you he was going to transfer to _Excalibur_? You want to know what his new captain is made of. You want to make sure he'll be all right."

Captain Picard suddenly looked uncomfortable. Aria smiled slyly. "I'm not much younger than you were, Captain," she told him. "Were you ready?"

He looked her right in the eye. "Not at the time," he answered. "And I was only in command of a ship of fifty people. You'll be responsible for the lives of over five hundred."

"You don't care about those five hundred people, Captain," Aria answered. "You only care about Wes. You and his mother can rest assured he'll be all right under my command."

Captain Picard squirmed uncomfortably again at the mention of Wesley's mother. Aria had to supress a grin at seeing an almost legendary Federation hero squirm at the mention of a woman.

"Very few people attain the rank of Captain in the first ten years of their career," he told her.

Aria leaned toward him and said, "I'm special. I've been told that for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I think it's what drove my brother to take refuge in fantasy worlds."

"Reg Barclay is quite a bit older than you, yes?" Picard asked.

"Sixteen, no, seventeen years," Aria answered. "Same father, different mothers."

"I suppose your family affairs are none of my business," Picard said.

"I say we had different mothers," she continued undaunted. "What I mean is that two different women gave birth to us, but his mother, Arlena Barclay, treated me like her own. She's the one who realized I was different, that I was...brilliant. I think that's what hurt Reg the most, that his mother loved me as much as she loved him."

"What happened to your mother?" he asked.

"My biological one? I don't know who she is or where she is and I've never really cared," she answered. "Arlena died when I was seventeen."

Picard stood up. "I should probably be going."

"Captain, I do have to tell you one thing," she said, standing to face him. "If I've learned one thing from my family, it's that you don't make rash decisions. My father made a rash decision with one of his students and he wound up with me and a rift between him and his son that survives to this day. Arlena cautioned me about my temper when I was young. So, unlike _some_ young captains, I am not reckless and prone to rash decisions."

Captain Picard actually smiled at her. He extended his hand and said, "Don't be _too_ careful, Captain."

Aria returned his smile and took his hand. "Thank you, Captain."

She watched as the doors slid shut behind him. A day or two ago, Captain Jean-Luc Picard would not have even known her name. Today, he was offering her advice on commanding a starship. Her stomach started roiling once again.

The door chimed and Ian Lavenham appeared still in his dress uniform and a champagne flute in hand. "Was that Captain Picard I just saw leaving?"

"Yes, yes it was," Aria answered.


	2. A New Beginning

Aria rubbed her forehead in frustration. It was two in the morning and the five of them-herself, Wesley, Ian, Dr. Cameron Wight, and Kana Mair-had been talking for three hours and they had decided very little.

"Okay, everyone stop," Aria said over the four people who were all speaking at once.

They all looked at her. "Before we start deciding who to bring on board, we need to decide on senior positions and what each of us is going to do," she continued.

"Well, I'll be the chief medical officer," Dr. Wight said jokingly in her heavy Welsh accent.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Cameron," she answered factiously. "Who wants to be senior operations officer?"

Kana examined her PADD closely. They had appointed Kana to keep an eye on regulations during their discussion. Throughout the night, she had rubbed the Bajoran ridges on her nose, a trait inherited from her father, in frustration and confusion. "The regulations state that on a ship the size of _Excalibur_, the senior operations officer _must_ have the rank of senior lieutenant although Starfleet _recomends_ he or she have the rank of lieutenant commander as both the chief of security and the chief engineer report directly to him...or her." Kana looked up sheepishly to make sure everyone understood what she had just said.

"Lieutenant Lavenham has extensive experience in operations," Wesley positted.

Everyone turned to Ian. "Me?" he asked. "I'm still a lieutenant, junior grade."

Aria twisted around in her chair and grabbed a small item on the table behind her. She tossed it to Ian. "Congratulations," she said non-chalantly.

He opened the small box. "Lieutenant Commander?" he asked. "Isn't that a little extreme?"

"You're best suited for the job," Aria explained. "And, besides, Starfleet has given me carte blanche to promote the four of you as needed."

"Well, that's convenient," Ian said as he snapped his new pip onto his disheveled dress uniform.

"Sorry, I don't have one for you, Cameron. Promotions for CMO's have to go through Starfleet Medical. It takes a while," Aria told the doctor

"Red tape, Captain?" Cameron asked. "I completely understand."

Aria smiled. "What's next?" she asked.

"Security," Wesley answered. "I'll defer to our senior ops officer for this one."

Ian and Wesley shared a small laugh. Aria's angry glare quickly quelled them, though. Ian examined his PADD. "There are several interesting names here." He was trying to sound quite business-like. "There's Malcourt from the _Merimack_ and Hayes from the _Hood_..."

"I don't think Captain DeSoto will give up Commander Hayes," Cameron said. "He's been with her for nearly ten years."

"Malcourt's also a long-time chief of security," Kana added after she studied her PADD for a moment. "I don't think you're going to get either of them to transfer."

Ian furrowed his brow in confusion. "Who the hell is Alexander Rozshenko?" he asked.

"Oh, he was my suggestion," Wesley said.

"Ambassador Worf's son?" Aria asked.

"You do realize Starfleet commissions aren't inherited," Ian said in his smart-allecky way.

Wesley rolled his eyes. "We could offer him a commission," he said.

"Starfleet doesn't just hand out commissions," Kana pointed out. "And he would have to be commissioned to the rank of at least junior lieutenant to be chief of security."

"Why would you even suggest Alexander, Wesley?" Aria asked him.

"He was a weapons officer on a _Klingon_ ship during the war," Wesley explained.

"So?" Ian asked.

"That gives him the same qualifications as any Starfleet security chief," Wesley continued. "And he's got more combat experience than just about any security officer in the entire fleet."

"Well, the war is quite over, Wesley," Ian said. "We don't really need a soldier on the bridge."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Wesley muttered.

Cameron suddenly became aware of the tension filling the room. "I think what we really need is someone who's more like a sherriff," she suggested.

Realization dawned on Aria's face. She smiled at Wesley. "That's why you _really_ suggested him," she said to Wesley.

Wesley gave her a cocked grin. "Yeah, the hardest part will be convincing him to leave."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not following you," Ian told them.

"After Alexander's last falling out with his father, he resigned his commission with the Klingon Imperial Fleet, and moved back to earth," Aria explained.

"He moved to Siberia, to be exact," Wesley continued.

Kana raised an eyebrow. "A Klingon in Siberia?"

"Well, I think he figured his father would never come there," Aria answered. "Alexander moved there six years ago, and I don't think he and Ambassador Worf have spoken since then."

"That still doesn't explain why the two of you want to make him _Excalibur_'s security chief," Ian told Aria and Wesley.

"Alexander litterally lives in one of the most remote communities on Earth," Wesley explained. "The only Federation presence there is a medical station. In the last six years Alexander's done a lot in the area. He helped catch looters and an insane man who was killing livestock and he's also organized people across great distances in times of crisis. He's basically become the local sherriff."

"Wow, you've really done your research," Aria said, impressed.

Wesley smirked and shook his head. "Not really. A year ago, when I was still on the run, Alexander hid me for a couple of weeks."

"Well," Ian began, "from where I'm sitting, Alexander Rozshenko is our best and most likely choice. Like Kana said, anyone with any real experience probably won't want a transfer."

Kana studied her PADD for a moment. "You're going to have to work out some sort of special arrangement with Starfleet Command," she warned Aria. "There's nothing in the regs that will just allow you to bring him on board."

"Worf isn't going to be much help there," Wesley mused. "Captain Picard might help. Oh, and Ezri Dax on DS9 and Miles O'Brien at the Academy."

"I'll get on that in the morning," Aria said. "Who's next?"

"Um, science officer," Wesley answered.

"I nominate Kana Mair," Dr. Wight said quickly.

"I'm only an ensign," Kana objected. "And I break things."

"You still come in pretty handy in a tight spot," Wesley told her. She reddened noticibly in response.

Aria smiled remembering how the generally nervous science officer held herself together during the battle. It was Kana who actually transported Wesley away from the Romulan Warbird and then helped him reconfigure the escape pod navigational systems during the battle.

Aria turned around and picked up another small box from the table behind her. She tossed the box to Kana who dropped it and her PADD as soon as it touched her hands. She looked extremely embarrassed as she picked them up from the floor. The other four people in the room had to suppress grins; Kana's clumsiness was almost legendary.

"You'll be a junior lieutenant," Aria told her after she had a moment to regain her composure.

Kana looked at her PADD. "That's in line with the regulations," she said.

Aria smiled. "You'll probably have to cow-tow to a lot of visiting scientists, commissioned and non-commissioned alike," she warned. "I hope you're up to the challenge."

"I will be, Sir," Kana assured her.

"What's next?" Aria asked.

"Chief engineer," Wesley answered.

"Well, Wesley, er, Lt. Crusher could do that," Ian suggested.

"You do realize that it is only recommended to address subordinates with rank and surname in front of other subordinate crew members, don't you, Sir?" Kana asked him.

Ian laughed. "I'm just getting my practice in, _Lieutenant_."

"Anyway," Aria interrupted. "I'm not sure Wesley would work as a chief engineer. You weren't even a shift leader on _Titan_, were you, Wes."

"No, Captain, I wasn't," Wesley answered.

"I was planning on using Wesley as a utility officer," Aria told them. "He's got the experience to fill in in any position."

"What will I be doing most of the time?" Wesley asked.

"Flying the ship," Aria answered simply.

"I can do that," he answered.

"That still leaves us with the problem of no chief engineer," Ian pointed out.

"What about the kid Voyager brought back from the Delta Quadrant?" Cameron suggested. "He's an engineer, right?"

"You mean Lieutenant Icheb," Kana said as worked her PADD. "He graduated with honors from the Academy, he served on _Intrepid_ and _Exeter_ before he went back to _Voyager_ under Captain Chakotay last year." She furrowed her brow. "I don't think you'll get him to leave, Captain."

Aria considered this for a moment. "How long has he been commissioned?"

"Um, six years," Kana answered.

"What's his rank?"

"Junior Lieutenant."

"A chief engineer has to at least be a senior lieutenant, correct?" Aria asked.

"Yes," Kana answered.

"We could offer him a promotion," Aria suggested.

"Excuse me, _Captain_," Ian interrupted, "but I do think I should have a say in this. And I'm not sure I want a Borg running Engineering. Among other things, his people skills are probably atrocious."

"He's always gotten excellent personnel reviews," Kana told them. "And he is the night shift leader on _Voyager_."

"I'm sure Admiral Janeway saw to that," Ian answered cynically.

"Commander," Aria said sternly. She now had Ian's undivided attention. "According to Lt. Kana's reports, Lt. Icheb is an outstanding officer regardless of his heritage. You're gonna have to get over any problem you have with him having been assimilated when he was a child."

Aria knew exactly what Ian's problem was. His favorite uncle, and man who had treated Ian as a son, died at Wolf 359, Starfleet's largest engagement with the Borg.

"Yes, Captain," Ian answered somberly.

"Now, Kana's right. No matter what sort of promotion we offer him, he may not want to leave the ship he pretty much grew up on," Aria continued. "I want a list of other candidates as soon as possible, Commander."

"Yes, Sir."

Wesley felt the tension growing. "That just leaves the position of first officer," he said in an attempt to change the subject.

"I'm going to take care of that one myself," Aria answered quickly.

"What? We don't get a say?" Cameron asked, only half joking.

"A starship is not a democracy," Aria said, smiling. "It's a benevolent dictatorship."

The five of them shared a small laugh. More seriously, Aria said, "Okay we need to get some sleep. At oh-eight-hundred tomorrow, we need to start monitoring repairs and the re-supply. We also need to start personnel reviews."

"That will be difficult without a first officer," Kana said. "Personnel _is_ one of his or her primary duties."

"I'm sure the four of you will figure something out," Aria told them. "Wesley, I want you to act as our chief engineer for the time being. Ian, in addition to assisting Wesley, you'll have to oversee the security upgrades and weapons repairs."

"Understood," he answered.

"Kana, obviously, you'll be overseeing the science labs and Doctor, you'll be in charge of Sick Bay and inventoring the medical supplies," Aria told them.

Kana and Cameron nodded their acknowledgement.

"One more thing," she continued after a moment, "Lieutenant Kana's right. We do need to address each other properly, especially in front of the crew. It will be an adjustment as some of us have known each other for a very long time." She glanced quickly from Ian to Wesley. "You're dismissed."

Wesley, Cameron, and Kana left without much ado. Ian, however, lingered behind. Aria walked to her window and looked out on the stars.

"Is something wrong, Commander?" she asked after a long silence.

Ian had remained seated. Without even looking at her he said, "I've had a message from Danny."

A shiver ran down her spine and her breath caught in her throat. Danny. Aria had many fond and many terrible memories of him. She turned and looked at Ian. "When did you get the message?" she asked him.

"This morning," he answered. "I tried to trace the source, but he's too good for that."

Aria nodded. Danny specialized in subspace technology. He could hide the source of almost any sort of transmission. "What did he have to say?" she asked.

Ian joined her at the window. "He's a captain, now, like you," he said. "It's ironic really."

"He's a criminal, Ian," Aria answered, "in more ways than one."

"Be that as it may, he was still my best friend since I was five," Ian said. "I didn't want him to leave the Academy without an explination or warning, or to join a band of criminals, and I certainly didn't want him to hurt you like he did."

Aria turned away from him. "I want you to turn the transmission into Starfleet security," she told him. "Maybe they can find something you missed."

Ian's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me, Commander," she answered. "I expect you to turn that transmission into Starfleet security as soon as possible and I _will_ know if you don't."

Ian shook his head and forced a laugh. "It's amazing," he said. "A few hours ago, you would have kept my secret. Do the extra pips on your collar make that much difference?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "Yes, they do, Commander. You're dismissed."

Ian tightened his jaw and quickly exited the room. Aria slumped down in the nearest chair and started sobbing. All she wanted was a new beginning, but the past continually haunted her.


	3. Brass and Paperwork

Admiral William Ross leaned back in his chair and narrowly regarded Aria. "Captain Barclay, _Excalibur_ is now part of the ninth fleet, which puts you under my command."

Aria nodded and said, "Yes, Sir." She knew that, so she honestly had no idea why the admiral had summoned her to his office.

"I've been reading your report on _Excalibur_'s encounter with the Romulans," he said. "It says that Mr. Crusher appeared on the bridge just before Captain Bragg gave the order to cross into the Neutral Zone. Would you mind explaining that to me?"

Aria raised an eyebrow slightly. "Sir, the Command Council has already debriefed me on this matter," she informed him.

"I want you to tell _me_, Captian," he answered sternly.

Aria took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Lieutenant Crusher and I have special abilities," she began. "It's possible for us to travel through time. I never really developed the ability, Wesley-Mr. Crusher can't control it very well. He apeared on the bridge and told us he was in trouble. So when informed Captain Bragg that it wasn't an apparition, he gave the order to cross into the Neutral Zone. It was, after all, our mission to intercept the Grey Hawks and use any means necessary to stop them from giving Wesley to the Romulans."

"And Captain Bragg informed you of _Excalibur_'s classified mission?" the admiral asked disbelievingly.

"He informed the entire crew," Aria answered. "He didn't really have a choice after Wes-Mr. Crusher appeared on the bridge."

"What happened when you intercepted the Grey Hawk ship?" Admiral Ross asked.

"Captain Bragg hailed them and asked them what they were doing in the Neutral Zone and a Romulan Warbird decloaked in response," Aria began. "The Romulan captain informed us he knew exactly why we were there and that we weren't going to get Wesley back. Captain Bragg told the Romulan captain-Tolek was his name I think-that the Grey Hawks have never had an ally they didn't betray. Captain Bragg told him that Wesley wasn't worth starting a war with the Federation for supplying weapons to our enemies. Tolek seemed convinced after speaking with the captain, but Tolek's first officer was not so convinced. He litterally shot Tolek in the back before he fired on both us and the Grey Hawks. We took damage to our port nacell, the Grey Hawks only lost their shields, so they got away while the Romulans attempted to finish us off."

"Do continue, Captain, the story is just getting good," the admiral said sarcastically.

The admiral's tone rankled Aria, but she held onto her composure and continued, "The details of the battle are a little hazy, but Captain Bragg ordered us to fire on their shield generator. They got to ours first. We took heavy damage to the hull, but we did manage to take out _their_ shields, and that's when we located Mr. Crusher."

"You were able to locate human life signs in the middle of a battle?" Admiral Ross asked, his skepticism still evident.

"No," Aria answered simply. "I told you, Mr. Crusher has special abilities, he just can't control it. When he's in a state of flux, it creates a chroniton radiation field around himself. I'm one of the few people in the universe who know that. We attempted to beam him out as soon as the shields dropped, but we had to get in too close. We only took out their weapons after they nearly destroyed the bridge. Captain Bragg pushed me away from a falling bulkhead. He died in my arms and gave me command of his ship."

Captain Bragg's exact words had been, "_Excalibur_ is yours now," but Aria didn't think the admiral would believe that detail.

"What did you do next?" The cynical edge in the admiral's voice had lessened.

"There were only three officers left alive on the bridge," Aria began, "myself, and then Lt. Ian Lavenham and Ensign Kana Mair. It was Kana who realized the transporters were still operational. We could still rescue Mr. Crusher. She couldn't do it from the bridge so I sent her down to the only operational transporter room. Lieutenant Lavenham and I realized we were in a race to see who could repair their weapons or engines first. There was no way we could repair either in time. We only had one thing left that we could even launch."

"The escape pods," Admiral Ross finished.

"Yes," Aria answered, "the problem is that escape pod navigational systems are set to hone in on the nearest Federation signal, which would send them in the opposite direction of the Romulans. We only had one plan and it had a lot of flaws. Aside from the navigational problem, I didn't even have the authorization to launch the pods. Captain Bragg didn't exactly have time to transfer them to me before he died."

"I see," Admiral Ross said flatly.

Aria took a breath and continued, "Fortunately, we had an ace in the hole. Kana had managed to beam Mr. Crusher off the Romulan ship. Wesley is a brilliant engineer. Kana had to practically carry him to the navigational controls. In the meantime, Lt. Lavenham was working on overriding the command codes."

"Which is completely against regulations," Admiral Ross told her.

A smile flickered across Aria's face. "It was either that, or die, Admiral," she answered.

"And your cunning plan paid off, did it not?" The admiral's tone had considerably brightened.

"Yes," Aria answered, now suspicious of the admiral's motives. "The pods that actually collided with the Romulans did serious damage. They were facing a warp core breach in less than ten minutes."

"Your report says you offered to evacuate the crew," Admiral Ross interrupted, "and they actually took you up on the offer. I find that a little difficult to believe."

"The most senior officer alive was the ship's physician," she explained. "He wasn't exactly hell-bent on dying. Most of Dr. Wight's medical staff had survived the battle, so I ordered some of them to set up some sort of triage center in the cargo bay. Kana beamed the Romulan survivors there. At the time, we could only spare two security officers, so I posted them at the entrance. We moved away at full impulse. We barely escaped the shockwave from the breach."

Admiral Ross glanced at one of the PADDs on his desk. "Your report says you hadn't gone terribly deep into the Neutral Zone, but that still doesn't explain how you got out before a squadron of Warbirds surrounded you."

Aria resisted the urge to grit her teeth. The admiral obviously already had all of this information in front of him. "Captain Bragg trained a fine crew," she told him struggling to retain her even tone. "We were managing warp 2 after only half an hour. We were out of the Neutral Zone after about two hours. We held our position in Federation space and waited."

"A Romulan ship decloaked less than an hour after you dropped out of warp," Admiral Ross told her. "Why didn't you continue to the nearest Starbase?"

The answer to that question was also in her report. Aria stood up. "Admiral, you know the answer to that question," she told him. "The Romulans were voluntary passengers on my ship."

"Your ship?" the admiral interrupted.

Aria's nostrils flared. "Yes, Admiral, my ship," she answered. "My ship that's currently under repair. My ship that you are keeping me from by asking me questions I've answered a dozen times in your presence. Frankly, Admiral, I don't care what you want to hear. My first duty is to my ship and crew, and if you'll excuse me, I have repairs to supervise."

She turned to leave without the admiral giving his permission. She paused, however, when she heard a hearty laugh emanating from the large man behind her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What is this?" she asked angrily. "Some sort of ridiculous hazing ritual?"

The admiral covered his mouth and managed to mostly wipe away his wide grin. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you walk out on yet _another_ interrogation," he told her. "I've learned two things about you through our conversation; you have respect for authority, but you know where the heart your responsibilities lie. That's a good sign, Captain."

Her arms remained crossed over her chest. "Is there a reason you called me here other than to gain intelligence on my strength of character, Sir?" The last word was an afterthought.

In a very business-like tone, Admiral Ross handed Aria a PADD and said, "Your long-term mission, Captain."

Aria looked at the PADD and then looked at the admiral, who had become quite serious. "You know, Admiral," she began, "I'd say the vast majority of people who join Starfleet do it to visit 'stange new worlds' not ferry refugees and colonists back and forth."

_Excalibur_'s mission for the time being was to escort and carry colonists to new territories being opened up in the Gamma Quadrant and in the demilitarized zone left over from the first Cardassian war. It would keep _Excalibur_ in a heavily traveled and supervised region of space. Aria knew her entire crew would be disappointed at the prospect of staying in known space.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Admiral Ross answered sincerely. "I know Admiral Janeway lobbied for an exploratory mission for you, but Starfleet Command wasn't having any of it. But I can make you a deal, Captain."

Aria placed her hands on her hips. "What are you offering, Admiral?"

"You'll have transport duty for at least a year," Ross answered. "But you will have enough leeway to do a little exploring, especially in the Gamma Quadrant. After that, I'll get you assigned to patrol duty."

"Where?" Aria asked, her hands still firmly planted on her hips.

The admiral grimaced. "Probably around the Federation colonies in the Gamma Quadrant," he answered, "but at least it's the Gamma Quadrant."

Aria rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in response. "And after that?" she asked.

"We'll have to wait and see, Captain," Ross answered.

Aria sighed but said, "Fair enough." She stood at attention and waited for the admiral to dismiss her properly. Admiral Ross stood up quite formally and unexpectedly saluted the young woman. Aria quickly returned the salute.

Admiral Ross dropped his right hand and said, "You're dismissed, Captain Barclay."

Aria turned on her heel and left, quite confused over some of what had just happened.

* * *

Wesley and Ian were sprawled out in a Jeffries tube attempting to make repairs to a forgotten bit of circuitry that was playing havoc with the ship's replicators. Wesley was actually making the repairs. Ian was 'assisting.' Actually, he was attempting to get away from the status reports he had recently been inundated with.

"So, Ari-Captain Barclay got called to Admiral Ross's office?" Ian said attempting to make converstation in the confines of the Jeffries Tube.

Wesley laughed at him. "Thinking of her as your captain is going to be a big adjustment for you isn't it?" he said.

Ian nodded, thinking of his and Aria conversation two nights ago. "She _is_ four years younger than me," he said in his defense, knowing that Aria's age had nothing to do with the way he felt about the situation.

Wesley grinned as he probed the exposed circuitry with a hyperspanner. "She's ten years younger than me," he told Ian.

Ian's eyes widened. He hadn't really considered Wesley's age before. "I suppose her age really has nothing to do with it," Ian admitted.

Wesley stopped what he was doing and looked at Ian. "How much is this bothering you?" he asked.

"What are you, the ship's couselor now?" Ian scoffed.

"I'm serious," Wesley insisted. "You're gonna have to take orders from someone you used to try and protect. It's a big adjustment."

Ian looked Wesley dead in the eye. "I'll get over it, Lieutenant," he answered. "Continue with your repairs."

"Yes, Sir." Wesley continued reconnecting the damaged circuits as Ian looked on.

* * *

"I had no idea being a senior officer entailed so much paperwork," Kana said as she worked her PADD.

She and Dr. Wight had been in the cargo bay for nearly two hours checking in supplies.

"You think you've got it bad," Cameron answered smiling. "I'm a doctor, I've got more paperwork than anyone."

"That's debatable in our current situation," Kana answered.

Cameron turned around and faced the younger woman. "What do you mean?"

Kana looked quite startled at the doctor's slightly rankled tone. She rubbed the Bajoran ridges on her nose, a nervous habit she had yet to overcome. "Well, sickbay came through the attack relatively unscathed," she began. "The science labs were all but destroyed. The medical resupply is basically routine, but the science resupply is far more extensive. I have to inventory all of these supplies and equipment, write daily reports on the status of the repairs, _and_ finish the personnel reviews for the science department."

Cameron nodded. "You make a fair argument," she told Kana, "but keep in mind that in addition to inventorying all of these supplies, _I_ have to do or supervise physicals on all new crewmembers and forwarding the medical records of all leaving crew members and I have to be checking on the recovery of the wounded. I am _always_ filling out paperwork of some kind."

"Um, Doctor?" a small voice interrupted.

It was the ensign who had been helping Cameron with the inventory. The young woman was behind a hover-dolly loaded down with medical supplies.

"These are all the supplies in this shipment, Doctor," the ensign finished.

"Go on to sickbay. I'll catch up with you," Cameron replied. The ensign slowly pushed the dolly out the cargo bay door and Cameron turned back to Kana Mair. "Do yourself a favor, Lieutenant, find some unsuspecting junior officer and have them help with all this. They have to follow your orders. After all, you're a senior officer, you've got the captain's ear."

Kana cocked an eyebrow at the doctor's advice as she watched the woman leave. After a few moments of looking at the dauntingly large amount of containers left in the cargo bay, Kana decided to go look for help. The first ensign she happened upon was a Bolian woman named Deezal who had always annoyed her.

"Ensign Deezal," Kana called out.

"Yes, Sir?"

Kana smiled. She liked the sound of that.

* * *

Aria rubbed her forehead in frustration. She had spent the afternoon pouring over names and files of candidates for first officer. She'd already stopped twice. Once she took down and neatly stored all of Captain Bragg's acoutrement in the ready room. The second time she put up her own decorations which consisted of her diploma from Starfleet Academy and hers and Captain Bragg's medals, which were now housed in a display case Dr. Wight had thoughtfully given Aria. She was out of things to do, unless she started moving into the captain's quarters, which she was putting off as long as possible.

The door chimed. "Come in," Aria answered. She smiled and stood up as the doors slid open. "Captain Riker, what a pleasant surprise." She meant it too, anything would have been pleasant after what she had done that afternoon.

Riker took her offered hand an motioned toward a chair opposite Aria's desk. "May I?" he asked politely.

"Of course, Captain, do sit down," Aria told him. She took her own seat and said, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I understand you want to take Mr. Crusher away from me permenently." His tone was very light and conversational. Aria was glad, after her encounter with Admiral Ross that morning, she was glad to get away from any serious conversations.

"My need is greater than thine," Aria quoted slyly.

Riker smiled brightly at her. "I actually approved his transfer first thing this morning. It's probably the best thing for his career, in the long run."

"Yes, if he can manage to keep himself out of trouble for a little while at least," Aria agreed.

The other captain laughed. "The real reason I came here was to issue an invitation for you to join my wife and myself on the _Titan_ for dinner tonight," he told her.

"That's very kind, but," Aria started to decline the invitation, but another thought entered her head, "I wonder if you would mind if we made it a working dinner? I could use some outside help choosing a first officer."

"I assume that's what all of this is?" Captain Riker asked indicating the scattered PADDs on Aria's desk.

"Yes," she answered. "I've discovered running a starship is a real nightmare without a first officer and we're just in space dock."

"I understand what you mean," Riker answered, his smile remaining. "Deanna and I would be happy to help you. You've narrowed your choices down a little, haven't you?"

She chuckled and nodded. She knew the excessive numbers of PADDs on her desk may have indicated otherwise.

"Send us your top choices," he told her. "We might be able to peruse their files before dinner. Ninteen hundred okay?"

Aria nodded her agreement.

Captain Riker stood and said, "Don't be late, Captain."

Aria smiled as she returned to the mountain of PADDs on her desk. Her work seemed far more paletable now that she had something to look forward to.


	4. Dinner and Decisions

Suddenly Aria's heart was beating faster. She'd never had dinner with a captain before. She knew it was ridiculous; it wasn't as if Riker was _her_ captain. He was _a_ captain, but then again so was Aria.

An odd thought occurred to her: perhaps she should have practiced this dinner on the holodeck with fascimiles of Riker and Troi. The idea cought her so off-guard, she stopped dead in the corridor. She took a quick survey of her surroundings to make sure no one had seen her.

She didn't want to think about Reg or her father; two men who often escaped into fantasies of their own making. John, her father, had started out "practicing" for special occasions, then he was "practicing" for every small event in their lives, and then he almost never came out of the holosuite he'd built in the back of their house.

Aria sneaked in one time and witnessed the double life her father had been leading. He wasn't married to Arlena, he was with some woman much younger than him. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, she was cute with a pretty smile. Aria hadn't thought about it at the time, but this woman was probably her mother. Aria had grown to greatly resemble the woman, anyway. Reg, in John's simulation, was stuck at the age of seventeen and he was far more confident than the genuine article. Aria was a sweet and retiring child of five; she was ten in the real world.

Aria erased the program from the computer's memory and made it look like a power surge had done it. Her father, however, blamed Reg, thinking it was the result of a recent repair job. Before Aria could intervene, John told Reg he was never to come back to the house again. Aria didn't see Reg again until seven years later at Arlena's funeral. John tried to block Reg's admittance and Aria punched her own father in the face for his trouble. Reg grieved at his mother's grave, but refused to let his sister comfort him. Aria hadn't seen or spoken to him since, and that ws nine years ago.

The idea that she suffered from some of the same anxieties that plagued the men in her family had not occurred to her, but evidently, they did. She determined at that moment, however, that she would not submit to her fears and that she would not allow her anxieties to push her into a world of fantasies. It was a small thing, really. It only took moments for her to make this decision, but it filled her with a new resolve and a new determination. At last, she felt ready for dinner.

* * *

Kana and Cameron were giggling over a drink when Ian and Wesley walked into the officers' mess looking tired and dirty. Cameron motioned them over and Wesley joined her and Kana at their table while Ian went to the nearest replicator for drinks.

"You look awful," Kana observed.

"You look awful, Sir," Ian corrected as he took a seat and handed Wesley a copper-colored drink.

Kana sat up straighter. "I'm sorry, Sir," she said sincerely.

Ian laughed quite loudly. "Kana, I was only kidding," he told her. "We're off duty and no one can hear you but us."

Kana's cheeks reddened. Cameron piped up, "So why _do_ the two of you look like shite?"

Ian's eyebrows raised and the corners of Wesley's mouth twitched at the frankness of Cameron's question. Kana didn't seem phased in the least.

"I wouldn't say we look like shite," Ian protested.

"I would," Wesley said. "I've been crawling through the underbelly of this ship all day long."

"Well, I've been with you all afternoon," Ian said, attempting, sadly, to make his plight less enviable than Wesley's.

"Haven't you gotten any paperwork done today?" Kana asked Ian. "Surely you have at least as much as I do."

"Not really," Ian answered. "We haven't recieved any extra engineering supplies yet and the new weapons systems don't come in until late next week. My only problems are securing a chief engineer and a chief of security."

"Have you made any progress on that score," Cameron asked him.

Ian opened his mouth to answer, but Kana interrupted him, "I still don't understand why Mr. Crusher here can't be our chief engineer." She looked directly at Wesley. "You're very talented."

Wesley sniggered and sipped his drink. "Yeah, I'm good engineer, I may even be a great one," he admitted, "but people aren't my specialty. They never have been. Besides, my performance record is way too shotty to qualify me for chief engineer." There was only the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice.

Cameron looked at Ian. "Weren't you supposed to come up with some sort of list of candidates for that position?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered. "And I've actually talked to a few of them. No one's interested. I'm not sure, but I think they're scared to serve under a captain Aria's age or even an operations officer my age. I suppose it's a little disconcerting taking orders from someone younger than you."

"That's ridiculous," Kana said angrily. "Vulcans take orders from officers less than half their age all the time."

A light seemed to come on behind Ian's eyes. "Maybe I should narrow my search to Vulcan engineers," he said brightly.

"Brilliant," Cameron said. "Have any of you been back to your quarters today?"

The three others shook their heads. "Why do you ask?" Wesley said.

"The captain sent us this." She slid a PADD over to them. "It's our mission from Starfleet."

Ian, Kana, and Wesley leaned in to read the PADD. After a few moments, Kana said, "This is awful."

"Why would Starfleet do this?" Ian asked. "We're supposed to be an organization devoted to exploration."

"They don't trust us," Wesley answered, "any of us. I can't say that I really blame them."

"How can you-"

"It's not going to be as bad as you think," he told Kana. "After all, the best adventures are the ones you don't go looking for."

"Well put, Mr. Crusher," Cameron said as she raised her glass. "Cheers to our new exciting mission.

* * *

"Come in, come in," Deanna Troi said brightly. "I understand you have a taste for Klingon food. Will has managed has managed to acquire some fresh g'agh."

"Uh, thank you for having me," Aria said uncertainly as Deanna ushered her into their quarters.

"Give the woman a moment to breathe, Deanna," Riker said as he joined them. "Glad you could make it, Aria."

"Thank you, Captain, Counselor," she answered politely.

"It's Will."

"And Deanna."

"That's going to take some getting used to," Aria told them.

"Well, come sit down," Deanna said, leading them to the dinning room table.

Once they were all seated, Will said, "Well, you wanted to make this a working dinner, so I thought we'd get the work out of the way first." He handed Aria a PADD. "The way I see it, you've only got one choice; Kumok Onari."

Aria only glanced at the PADD. She was already quite familiar with Kumok Onari's file. "Captain Bragg recruited him to be our new first officer. I just wasn't sure he'd do it now that Bragg is gone. It's almost like I was promoted above him."

"Oh I don't think that's how he'll see it," Deanna said as she laid a plate full of wriggling g'agh in front of Aria. "The Onari are great believers in fate and generally accept whatever come their way. How much do you know about the Onari, Aria?"

"Not much," Aria admitted, "which is pretty horrible considering Starfleet had first contact with them nearly two hundred years ago."

"Well, Captain Archer first met a member of their species in 2151, but Starfleet didn't have formal dealings with them until after the inception of the Federation," Will told her.

"So what are the Onari like?" Aria asked Deanna.

"Well, for starters, they don't have a family structure like most cultures," she answered. "They believe that their entire species is one family, which is why they all go by the surname, Onari."

"Which can be confusing," Will added before sucking a piece of g'agh down his throat.

"Anyway," Deanna continued, "they're species-wide family has given them a very open culture, which allows them to assimilate easily into other cultures. The only thing Onari have a hard time grasping are romantic relationships."

"Really?"

"Well, think about it, every Onari man looks at every Onari woman as a mother or sister and visa-versa," Deanna explained. "Whereas most species view...procreation as an act of love or passion, the Onari see it as a duty. The Onari actually developed artificial encemination far earlier in their development than most other cultures."

"So what makes Kumok Onari the perfect first officer?" Aria asked.

"Well, he's got about 20 years on the rest of your senior staff," Will answered.

"The Onari are fairly long-lived," Deanna added.

Aria sighed. "Is age the only reason?"

"No," Will answered. "He's got more experience than anyone else, especially when it comes to diplomacy and he has a collection of nearly perfect personnel reports. Anyone who has ever served under him says he's an excellent motivator, which is what your crew is going to need after a loss like you've experienced."

Aria nodded. "He's currently serving on Vulcan, correct?"

"Yes," Deanna answered. "If you decide you want him, you should ask him in person. The Onari appreciate face-to-face requests."

Aria thought quietly as her g'agh wrapped itself around her index finger. "Getting to Vulcan isn't a problem, leaving my crew might be, though," she said.

"What? You don't trust them?" Will asked as he jovially slurped down more g'agh

"It's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of experience," Aria protested.

"Aria, think about it," Deanna began, "you haven't got much experience either, but you lead a broken and wounded crew out of the Neutral Zone and saved the peace between the Federation and the Romulan Empire."

"For a while, anyway," Aria mused.

"_Titan_ will be here for the next couple of days," Will told her. "We'll look in on them for you."

"Thanks, Captain," Aria said.

"Anytime...Captain."

* * *

"I've found an engineer," Ian announced as he came in late to the daily staff meeting.

"That's nice, Commander. Do you think you could set a better example and actually show up on time in the future?" Aria asked him snidely.

"Sorry, Captain," Ian said quickly. "Am I interrupting, or do you want to hear about our engineer?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Since you're bursting to tell us, please do," she told him.

Ian grinned boyishly and handed her a PADD before taking his seat next to Wesley. "His name's Vorik. He's a Lieutenant, served on _Enterprise_ and _Voyager_ before moving on to the _McAuliffe_. He's a shift leader and reports say he works well with people, for a Vulcan. To top it all off, he's a brilliant engineer with a specialty in warp drive, not to mention the fact that he's actually willing. Captain Janovick has already approved the transfer. All I need is your approval, and he'll be here the day after tomorrow."

Aria made a few strokes on the PADD and handed it back to Ian. "It's done. Next order of business?"

"That's me," Dr. Wight said. "I've got an extremely green medical team. I'd like to run some emergency drills with them while you're away."

"You're going somewhere?"

Aria glared at Ian. "This is why you should be on time, Commander," she told him. "After the briefing I'm going to Vulcan. Hopefully, I'll bring back a first officer, who can deal with daily briefings instead of me."

Ian clamped his mouth shut. Wesley suppressed a grin, badly.

"Doctor, feel free to run as many drills as you need. Lieutenant Kana, what will you be doing while I'm gone?" Aria asked.

The sudden turn of conversation startled Kana. "I, uh, Wesley, I mean Lt. Crusher and I will be finishing the install, callibration and diagnostic process on the sensors."

"Very good." Aria turned to Ian. "Any progress on chief of security?"

"It is extremely difficult to get a hold of someone living Siberia," Ian said, "but I did get a hold of Professor O'Brien at the Academy. He knows Rozshenko and he told me he'd try to find him for us."

"Have you got a backup plan in case this doesn't work out?" Aria asked him.

"Not really."

"If you haven't gotten Rozshenko signed up by the time I get back, you need to have more viable options ready to go," she told him. "Is there anything else?"

Cameron nodded. "Good luck, Captain."

"Thank you, Doctor." She regarded the rest of her staff. "I think we've made some good decisions over the last couple of days. I trust you will continue to make good decisions while I'm gone."

"Naturally, Captain," Ian answered slyly.


	5. The End of the Beginning

The desert air stole the breath right out of Aria's throat as she stepped into the Vulcan sun. She squinted and rushed after the young woman leading her into the Starfleet Training Center.

The building was over two hundred years old. In Jonathan Archer's day, it was the United Earth Embassy. Today, it was where most enlisted men and women got their first training.

The young woman stopped at the end of a long hallway and told Aria to wait. She entered a large room Aria could only surmise was a gym. A few moments later, she reemerged and ushered Aria inside.

The white suited students were running through standard self-defense maneuvers. An Onari man stood at the front of the class in black robes. Aria recognized him from his file. His hair was grayer, but his eyes seemed just as kind, even though short spikes surrounded them. He acknowledged Aria and clapped his hands, bringing his students to a halt. He bowed and dismisssed them. As they made their way out, he made his way to Aria.

"Captain Barclay, it is a pleasure," he said. "I am Kumok Onari. Would you like to step into my office for some tea?"

Aria nodded. "Yes, of course."

She followed him to a small office just off of the gym. A small tea setting was waiting for them on a small table only six inches off the ground. Aria took a seat on a floor cushion.

"Are you a fan of ancient Earth's eastern cultures?" she asked.

"I am," Kumok answered as he sat down across from her, "especially the Indian and Japanese traditions."

Aria squirmed uncomfortably as he poured their tea in silence. "Commander," she began finally, "I don't really want to draw this out. The central question I have is, are you ready for what this task has in store for you?"

Kumok placed his cup back on its saucer. "I believe I have stayed behind a desk long enough, Captain. I would very much like to be on a starship again."

"Even though Captain Bragg wouldn't be on that starship?" she asked.

"Even though," he answered.

"I need a first officer with knowledge and experience," Aria continued.

"I have those things," Kumok said, sipping his tea.

"And I don't want anyone babysitting them just because they're young and inexperienced," she continued sternly.

Kumok gave her a small smile. "I have never been apt to babysit anyone," he assured her.

"I don't think you understand what I mean, Commander," she told him. "I don't want someone to babysit them. I want someone to be their father."

Kumok cocked his head curiously. "I do believe you _will_ have to explain that to me, Captain."

Aria leaned across the table and looked him in the eye. "I don't want someone to pander to them just because they're young and inexperienced. I need someone to mentor them, and discipline them when necessary. I need someone to be an intermediary between myself and my crew. Just a few short weeks ago, I was one of them. Now, quite suddenly, I'm their captain. It's kind of a sticky situation, Commander. And it's what you'd be volunteering for if you take this posting. I just want you to be prepared."

Kumok gently set his teacup down and sighed thoughtfully. "I had a friend at the Academy who became a father his senior year. As we waited, I asked him if he was ready to become a father, and he said that no one would ever be prepared for all the challenges fatherhood poses, and that all one can do, is their best. I may not be fully _prepared_ for all of the challenges I will face on _Excalibur_, but I can assure you, Captain, I will do my best."

Aria smiled brightly. "That's a _very_ good answer, Commander."

Kumok returned her smile. "I thought so as well."

"I'd like to leave in the morning if that's possible."

"It is."

She stood up and extended her hand toward him. "Welcome aboard, Commander."

He stood and took her hand in the human custom. "Thank you, Captain."

* * *

"Captain, the _McAuliffe_ is actually going to be in your general vicinity tomorrow," Ian said. "If you and Commander Kumok could pick Lt. Vorik up, it would expedite his arrival. Having a chief engineer a couple of days early may even get us out of here a little more quickly."

"That's a good idea, Commander," Aria said from his subspace console. "I have a friend on the _McAuliffe_, I'll let her know we're coming. How is your search for a new chief of security going."

Ian smiled his most confident smile. "Oh, we're about to have a breakthrough, Captain," he assured her.

"Good. I'll see you in a couple of days. Barclay out."

Ian let out a sigh of relief as Aria's image flashed off the screen in front of him. He looked at Wesley, who looked back at him diparagingly.

"What?"

Wesley rolled his eyes. "Commander, I haven't known you very long, but this has got to be one of your dumbest ideas."

Ian scoffed as he did a last minute check on the runabout's systems. "Oh, no. Danny Kent and I had much dumber ideas back at the Academy."

They were about to make a run to Earth to talk to Alexander Rozshenko about joining their crew. Ian had exhausted every avenue he could think of. He couldn't even find a Vulcan interested in the position and Starfleet Command was not very helpful. This was their last option before signing a green Academy graduate to the job.

Wesley, however, was strongly opposed to the idea as it would leave Dr. Wight in charge. While Cameron was an excellent doctor, she had next to no command experience. He thought it very irresponsible of Ian to leave at a time like this.

A knock on the cockpit window nearly scared Ian out of his seat. He turned to see Captain Riker looking at him sternly and motioning for both of them to come out of the vessel.

Ian angrily turned on Wesley. "You told."

Wesley grimaced uncomfortably. "I might have dropped a hint," he admitted.

They walked out of the runabout to find Captain Riker and Counselor Troi's disaproving faces and Kana Mair nervously biting her lip.

"I'm sorry, Commander, I tried to stall them," she said.

"It's alright, Kana. It's not your fault," Ian assured her as he glared at Wesley. "So, could you two just give me your lecture and go on."

Kana and Wesley's eyes widened at the tone of Ian's voice. Captain Riker's eyes narrowed.

"You do realize you're addressing superior officers, Commander?" Riker asked him.

"I do," Ian answered. "You're two superior officers looking at me like I've just broken my mum's favorite vase. Well, I'm not. I'm just trying to do my job to the best of my ability."

"We understand that," Troi said kindly. "That's why I'm coming with you."

That was most certainly not the response Ian expected. "Why?" was all he could think to ask.

"Because Wesley has command experience and he needs to stay with the ship," Riker answered.

"And because I know Alexander Rozshenko better than almost anyone," Troi added.

"How did you know we--"

"Captain Barclay mentioned your choice for chief of security at dinner a couple of nights ago," Riker explained.

"It's an inspired choice," Troi said.

"My idea," Wesley piped up.

Troi smirked at him before looking back to Ian and saying, "Well, Commander, are we going or not?"

"After you, Couselor," he answered.

Her husband handed her a bag and kissed her softly before she boarded the runabout. Ian looked back at Wesley.

"Don't let anything explode while I'm gone," he said.

"I'll do my best," Wesley answered. "Just get back before the captain does."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Aria worked the controls as they settled comfortably into the _McAuliffe_'s shuttlebay.

"You like flying, don't you, Captain?" Kumok asked her as she powered down the ship.

Aria turned to face him. He looked quite different in his duty uniform than in the robes she had met him in yesterday. "I've always loved flying. Even when I was a small girl with little hovercraft."

"Well, all the great ones were fliers," Kumok said, standing.

"Are you sucking up, Commander?"

Kumok smiled slyly. "I might be, Captain."

Aria returned his smile as she stepped out into the shuttle bay. A familiar woman with long honey-colored hair and gray eyes greeted them with a smile.

"Aria Barclay, captain at twenty-six. Who would have thought it?" the woman teased.

"You're not doing so bad yourself," Aria said after giving the woman a hug. "I hear you're going to be captain when you get back to Earth and Captain Janovick takes her promotion."

"It is true," she confirmed.

"You're not even thirty-five," Aria continued. "It's a big deal, Derika."

"You are one to talk, Little Miss."

Kumok cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Commander," Aria apologized. "Kumok Onari meet Derika Andrews, soon-to-be captain of this fine vessel. Kumok is my first officer."

After Derika and Kumok exchanged pleasantries, she said, "I hope you can get her to listen to you, occasionally, Commander. She's quite stubborn and she thinks she knows everything."

"Oh, I do know everything," Aria countered.

"Only when it comes to pre-Federation history," Derika shot back. "I was a teaching assisstant her first year at the Academy. She wrote a brilliant paper on Jonathan Archer, and has never let me forget it."

"It was most impressive, as I recall," Kumok replied.

Aria cocked an eyebrow. "You've read it?"

"It was published in several journals," Kumok answered, as though it were obvious.

"It was, wasn't it?" Aria said, blushing.

Derika regarded Kumok curiosly before saying, "Well, you do have business to attend to. I'm sure you want to get back to your ship and I _know_ Vorik wants to move on. It's not logical to waste time when there's another job to be done."

_McAuliffe_ was a twenty-year-old Galaxy class starship. It was only just beginning to show signs of wear and tear. Derika told them of its eccentricities, such as the holodecks flickering while the transporters were in use. It had taken heavy damage during the Dominion War and had never fully recovered. It was a much larger ship than _Excalibur_, with many more people, and a lot more responsibility. Aria was grateful for her position for the first time since Admiral Janeway had offered it.

They met Captain Janovick, an extremely stern-looking woman, in her ready room with Lieutenant Vorik. In an ancient show of Naval tradition, they officially transferred his command to Aria. After the brief ceremony, Vorik asked to be excused to collect his belongings.

Once Vorik was gone, Derika smiled at her friend and said, "I knew this was going to be a short visit."

"Naturally," Captain Janovick said, leaning back in her chair. "But don't worry about him, Captain Barclay. He's an excellent engineer, and quite handy in a tight spot. He's a fine choice."

"If you don't mind, Captain," Aria began timidly, "may I ask why you're taking an assignment on Earth?"

Captain Janovik eyed Derika who said, "Commander Kumok, I would like to show you our recent bridge modifications."

Kumok looked curiously from Captain Janovick and then to Derika before saying, "Of course, Commander."

When the door slid shut behind them, Captain Janovick looked at Aria and smiled, which softened her stern features significantly. "My eldest daughter will be having her first child in a couple of months. My son is graduating from the Academy in a few weeks. And my youngest daughter will be graduating from high school next year. She will make decisions in the next year that will affect her for the rest of her life. I have been absent for most of their lives, and I should be there now."

Aria nodded. "I understand."

Captain Janovick shook her head from side-to-side. "No, you don't." At Aria's furrowed brow, she added, "You've never had to choose between the family bound to you by blood and the one bound to you by duty. And it doesn't matter how many ancient witticisms abound, for a Starfleet captain, those bonds are just as strong."

Aria concentrated very hard on her boots. "Sometimes, I think I'm not ready for this."

Janovick sighed. "Has Kumok, by chance, told you what my husband said to him the day my daughter was born?"

"That was your husband?"

Janovick nodded. "My husband was a very wise man."

"Was?"

Captain Janovick's smile faded. "He died when the Breen attacked Earth."

"I'm so sorry," Aria answered. She remembered the Breen attack. She was at the Academy when it happened. More than anything, it was a complete and utter shock. Starfleet was never ready for the Dominion to take a stab at their crown jewel.

Janovick's smile made a comeback. "I'm sure Lieutenant Vorik is waiting for you in the shuttlebay. I'll walk you, Captain."

"Thank you."

* * *

"There's just one thing I'd like to know," Derika began as she and Kumok walked into the shuttlebay.

"Yes, Commander," Kumok responded.

"You didn't read Aria's paper on Archer until _after_ you found out she was considering you for first officer, did you?"

Kumok didn't answer, he simply smirked. Derika grinned brightly. "I'll take that as a yes. It's a good idea, though, getting to know your C.O. through their academic works before signing on with them."

"I suppose some one will be researching you in the near future?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. You see, the advantage of not having suffered a catastrophe is that we can promote from within. I've known my future first officer for three years. I'd trust him with my life. We don't have to waste time feeling each other out."

Kumok's brow furrowed slightly. "As I understand it, Captain Barclay has an officer on _Excalibur_ she's for quite some time as well. I wonder why she did not choose him for first officer?"

Derika laughed breathily as she sat down on top of a nearby crate. Kumok joined her. "I wouldn't have chosen Ian Lavenham for my first officer either," she said.

Kumok cocked his head, inviting her to explain. She obliged and said, "Ian's a great officer. People like _and_ respect him. But..." She sighed, not sure how to continue. "Have you looked at his Academy record?"

"No."

"Well, he has got dozens of disciplinary actions against him," Derika answered. "He used to get into so much trouble with his friend, Danny. And they were just being stupid and playing pranks. They were rash and arrogant."

Kumok raised his spiked brow. "I have looked at Commander Lavenham's service record. It is clean of disciplinary actions."

Derika nodded soberly. "That's because in his junior year, his friend, Danny, just disappeared one night."

"What happened?" Kumok asked. "Was he killed?"

Derika shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no. Ian's friend is Danny Kent. You recognize the name?"

Kumok leaned back in surprise. "He's a fugitive."

"Yes, and not just for going AWOL from the Academy. He's committed a string of other crimes since then, and a few before," her voice became quite pained.

Kumok's expression invited her to tell more, but she answered, "I'm sorry, Commander, but it's just not my place to tell you all Danny has done, especially when it comes to your captain."

He considered her for a moment before saying, "I belive I understand you."

"Good," she said, smiling as the sound of the shuttlebay doors opening resounded through the room.

Lieutenant Vorik entered and Derika and Kumok stood up. Derika stepped forward and extended her hand. "It's been an honor serving with you, Lieutenant."

"And you, Commander," Vorik answered evenly.

"Don't let the warp core breach, or anything," Derika teased.

"I will do my best. I cannot, however, prevent loss of containment due to an engagement with hostile--"

"Lieutenant," Kumok interrupted, "Commander Andrews was making a joke."

"Oh, of course, Sir," Vorik answered.

The shuttlebay doors opened once more and Kumok spied Aria and Captain Janovick entering.

"You can go aboard, now, Lieutenant," he told Vorik, who immediately complied. He extended his right hand to Derika. "Congratulations once more, on your promotion. And I do hope to see you again sometime."

Derika took his hand and gave him a lopsided grin. "Yes, Commander, and perhaps it could be under less _formal_ circumstances."

Kumok raised a spiked brow before saying, "Yes, Commander, I believe I would enjoy that as well."

Derika grinned widely as she watched his back enter the shuttle. Aria elbowed her hard in the ribs. "Hey, you do realize he's Onari."

"Well, _anyone_ can learn about human romance," Derika whispered back conspiratorially.

"Feel free to think that," Aria muttered. "Captain Janovick, you're leaving your ship in good hands."

"I know, she reminds me of it daily," Janovik teased. "Good luck, Captain Barclay. Commander?"

"Oh, I'll catch up with you, Captain," Derika answered.

Captain Janovick nodded and turned to leave. Derika's normally jovial manner became quite serious.

"Hey, I saw a new security alert on Danny Kent," she began. "Did he try to contact you?"

Aria sighed. She thought this might be coming. "No, he contacted Ian."

Derika raised both eyebrows. "And he turned the transmission in?"

"I ordered him to," Aria explained.

Derika chuckled. "Maybe Ian's growing up after all. What did Danny want?"

"Just to catch up, I think," Aria answered. "Apparently, he's the captain of his own little pirate ship now."

Derika took a deep breath. "Aria, I know about _Excalibur_'s mission. You're going to be transporting and escorting people to places where there's a lot of pirate activity and has been since before the Dominion War ended."

"I do read security reports, Derika."

"Aria, Danny is probably one of those pirates, and I don't think Starfleet has even considered that."

"They don't _need_ to consider it," Aria insisted angrily. "As much as you hate to admit it, Derika, I'm a big girl now. I can handle it."

Derika shook her head. "I don't understand how _anyone_ could handle something like that."

"You'd be surprised," Aria said quietly.

"Hey," Derika said, taking the younger woman's hands, "if you ever need anything, you call me, anytime."

Aria smiled. "The same goes for you, too."

The two women pulled each other into a final embrace. As she let go, Derika said, "Goodbye, Captain Barclay."

"Goodbye, Captain Andrews."

* * *

The cold stole the breath right out of Ian's chest. He felt unbearably underdressed, even though he had on a very warm parka. If Siberia was only half as cold as Andoria, he knew he would never spend a holiday on _that_ planet.

"I don't see how humans live here, much less a Klingon," Ian shouted to Commander Troi over the noise.

"One thing Alexander inherited from both his parents is stubbornness," Troi answered, her voice at equal volume. "Alexander possesses the tenacity to live almost anywhere, no matter how uncomfortable it may be."

After a minute of trudging through heavy snow and high winds, they found a building that was apparently a community center and ducked inside. Ian gratefully breathed in the warm air as he brushed the snow off of himself.

"Well, at least they have heat," he muttered.

"This isn't a pre-warp civilization, Commander. It's still Earth," she reminded him.

A young, human woman with two long, blonde, braids came up to them. Her face remained emotionless as she said, "Can I help you," in a heavy Russian accent.

"Yes, we're looking for Alexander Rozshenko," Ian answered.

The sound of heavy logs falling to the floor drew their attention. Next to the scattered wood was a tall man, apparently Klingon, though his features were softer than most. His dark brown braid ended at the nape of his neck. He wore a simple shirt, trousers, boots, and a very hard expression.

"Excuse," the blonde woman said quietly before walking over to the man. "Dey vant to see you. I get dis."

Alexander marched toward Ian and Troi. It was all Ian could do to keep from taking a step back from the angry looking Klingon.

"What are you doing here?" he asked evenly as his eyes shifted from Troi to Ian and then back to Troi. "Has something happened to my father?"

Troi vigorously shook her head. "Oh, no, Alexander. We're here to talk to you."

"About you," Ian added.

"Who are you?" Alexander asked snidely.

Ian was beginning to regret this escapade. He sighed and extended his right hand, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Ian Lavenham of the _U.S.S. Excalibur_."

Alexander hesitated before taking Ian's hand. "I heard about your ship. Suffered some sort of disaster at the hands of the Romulans. And the Grey Hawks were involved somehow."

"That just about sums it up," Ian answered. "We actually lost a good portion of our crew and command staff, including our chief of security."

Alexander laughed and shook his head. "I knew it. I just _knew _it. Did she put you up to this?" he asked, indicating Counselor Troi.

Troi opened her mouth to answer, but Ian cut her off. "No, Wesley Crusher suggested you to Captain Barclay."

Alexander shook his head. "He shouldn't have done that. He doesn't owe me anything."

"He owes you his life," Ian argued. "You hid him away when he had separatists bent on murdering him on his ass. You could have both been killed."

"Quiet," Alexander warned, stealing a look back at the blonde woman gathering the wood he had dropped. "Follow me," he said, leading them to a small office to the side of the main room. He closed the door behind them and said, "Look, that woman out there, Erina, she comes from a very traditional Siberian family. They're not nearly as extreme as the Grey Hawks, but they do have symaphies toward them."

"Do you agree with them?" Troi asked.

He looked at her as though she had slapped him across the face. "No," he answered. "The Federation isn't perfect, but it always learns from its mistakes, and improves."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Ian told him, "because I'm in a bit of a quandry and you are the only solution that has presented itself."

"I don't want anything because of who my father is," Alexander answered angrily.

"Your father has nothing to do with this decision," Ian insisted, his blood beginning to boil.

"Then what's she doing here?"

"She came because she thought she could help, which obviously she's not doing."

"Excuse me?" Troi said, her arms angrily folding across her chest.

"Look," Ian began more calmly, "I'm here because Admiral Janeway got the brilliant idea to put a twenty-six year old in command of a starship with a crew of more than five hundred people. It sounded like a great idea until I tried looking for a security officer. Believe me, I tried to find someone who was actually _in_ Starfleet, but no one wanted to transfer. _Everyone_ expects us to fail. We need someone with experience as head of security. And we're not just giving this position to you. I've gotten Starfleet to agree to grant you a provisional commission based on your War record and on the condition you take correspondence courses from the Academy in things like Federation History and Xenobiology." Ian finally took a breath. "Our admitted desperation and your own are the only reasons we're offering you this job."

The room fell completely silent. Alexander seemed to be examining the creases in his boots. "I'd have the rank of lieutenant, right?" he asked finally.

"Yes," Ian answered hopefully.

"Well then, Commander," Alexander said, looking up at Ian, "can I have a few hours to gather my gear and say goodbye?"

Ian breathed a sigh of relief. "Take all the time you need, Lieutenant."

Alexander nodded and quietly left them standing in the office.

"That was quite a speech," Troi said to Ian after a moment's silence.

"I surprised myself with it to be quite honest," Ian answered.

"I just have one suggestion for you," she said.

"What's that?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Never insult a superior officer's helpfulness in front of them."

Ian laughed. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

"Is she back yet?" Ian asked a day later as he lept out of the shuttle into _Excalibur_'s shuttlebay.

"No, but she's only an hour away," Kana informed him.

"Well, thank God we got you in uniform," Ian said as he ushered Alexander out of the shuttle. "Lieutenant Kana Mair, meet Lt. Alexander Rozshenko, our new chief of security."

Kana smiled brightly and extended her hand to the man who towered over. "It's very nice to meet you."

Alexander returned her gesture with a much smaller smile. "It'a a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Where's Commander Troi?" Kana asked, though she already knew the answer.

"We dropped her off at the _Titan_." Ian sniffed the air suspiciously. "Lieutenant Kana, do I smell something burning?"

Kana's cheeks immediately reddened. "Yes, Sir, you might."

"I might?"

"Well," she began uncertainly, "a plasma conduit sort of exploded in engineering, and I think Lt. Crusher was too busy controlling the fire to keep the smell from being pumped into the ship's atmosphere."

Ian's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull as Kana relayed her story. "Uh, Lt. Rozshenko, I have to go to Engineering. Kana, take him to the bridge and show him his station. I'm afraid you'll have to meet your staff later."

Ian was out of the shuttlebay without any further ado. Kana smiled sheepishly.

"Is it always this chaotic around here?" Alexander asked her.

"Oh, no," she answered, "but I honestly can't remember the last time it wasn't."

Ian coughed and blinked as he entered a smoke-filled engineering. "Lieutenant Crusher!" he called while waving his arms around trying to clear the smoke from his face.

"Oh, welcome back, Commander," Wesley said from a nearby console. His hair and uniform were greatly dishevelled and he had black smudges all over his face.

"What-" Ian started to ask.

"Just a second!" Wesley interrupted. A short series of beeps later, the hum of the air filtration system kicked in and the smoke immediately began to clear. A sigh of relief spread throughout engineering. Wesley visibly relaxed and rubbed his face with his hands.

"What happened?" Ian asked, more calmly this time.

"Well," Wesley began as he walked to another console and started working the controls, "the shift leader asked me to come down here for something-I don't remember what now-but it's a good thing she did because as soon as I walked in the door, Kana called me from the bridge and told me she'd accidentally set off a overload in one of the plasma relays while running diagnostics on the sensors."

Ian was surprised his jaw hadn't hit the floor during Wesley's speech. "How did she manage that?"

Wesley merely shrugged. "I don't know. You're the one who told me she was clumsy."

Ian nodded. "Well, obviously you managed to stop it before it got to the warp core, otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Wesley's eyes remained focused on the console beneath him. "Yeah, we stopped it, but it blew out a relay in an unmanned section of engineering; superheated plasma everywhere. No injuries, though, just a big mess and a lot of smoke. The atmospheric control system went out as well..." his voice drifted off. "Hey, you, over there by transporter control, you need to move, now!"

The anonymous crewman did not budge or even look at Wesley.

"Hey, I said you need to move!" Wesley yelled, running toward the man. He tackled the man and pushed him down to the floor as the console exploded, sending sparks into the air around them.

"What the hell were you doing?" Wesley shouted, standing up. "I told you to move!"

"You're not my superior officer, Lieutenant," the young, human man said snidely as he stood.

"But I am," Ian said firmly.

The lieutenant immediately straightened.

"And in this situation," Ian continued, "Lieutenant Crusher was in command of engineering and was therefore your superior officer, and you should follow his orders because they could save your life. And if I ever hear of you addressing a member of the senior staff in such a way, I will have you busted back to the Academy. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now, get this mess cleaned up," Ian ordered.

The lieutenant rushed to his duties as Wesley and Ian turned around. "_That's_ why I'm not the chief engineer."

"Would you like to meet the person who is?"

They stopped at the sight of Aria flanked on one side by a young Vulcan man and on the other by an imposing Onari man. Ian turned on his heel and shouted, "Captain on deck!"

All activity suddenly ceased as every person in engineering turned to face Aria and her entourage. She eyed Ian in slight annoyance before taking a deep breath and saying, "Well, I knew you could handle yourselves in a crisis, but it's nice to see you handle yourselves in one without phaser fire."

A minor chuckle resounded through engineering.

"This is your new chief engineer, Lieutenant Vorik. I expect you to diligently follow his commands," she said, briefly glancing at the lieutenant who was cowering in the corner. "And this is _Excalibur_'s first officer, Commander Kumok Onari. I'd love it if we had time to get to know each other, but we ship out for DS9 in two days and the ship has sustained extra damage this afternoon. I am, however, sure you are all up to the challenge at hand. As you were."

Engineering returned to it's normal murmur of activity.

"Captain," Vorik began, "may I begin leading the repair work?"

"Have at it, Lieutenant," Aria answered.

Vorik calmly asked a nearby crewman for an update and promptly started dispensing orders. Aria took one look at Wesley and said, "Lieutenant Crusher, I think you should take a sonic shower before returning to duty."

"Thank you, _Sir_," Wesley said. "I'm sorry about all this, Commander Onari."

"I prefer Kumok, actually," he said. "It's less confusing, considering that the rest of my _species_ goes by the surname Onari."

Wesley chuckled and nodded as he headed out the door. Ian bit his lip sheepishly. "Captain, I'm sorry about this. I only just returned myself."

"Oh, it's all right, Commander," Aria assured him. "Lieutenant Kana explained everything. And we are early. I do, however, want a disciplinary action report on that lieutenant over there by the end of the day."

Ian nodded solemnly. "If you'll excuse me, I should probably go introduce Lt. Rozshenko to his staff."

Aria watched as Commander Kumok surveyed engineering. "I do have one question, Captain; how exactly does one set off a plasma overload while running a sensor diagnostic?"

Aria smiled. "Commander, your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

Aria tossed and turned in her unfamiliar bed. She had finally moved into Captain Bragg's old quarters. She had a huge living space, and dining area, and two bedrooms. Her room had a double bed, which she didn't see herself actually needing any time in the near future.

They would be leaving in the morning. Lieutenant Vorik apparently lived up to the reputations of other miracle working chief engineers. Part of Aria was glad to be getting out of the repair yard, and yet, another part of her was cowering at the thought of running the ship on a day-to-day basis. During the battle with the Romulans, after Captain Bragg died in her arms, her training just kicked in and took over. She wasn't entirely sure how she would do without a crisis to spur her on.

Finally, she threw off the covers and put on her uniform. She walked the nearly abandoned corridors of her ship to sickbay.

"Captain," Dr. Wight said cheerily from her office desk, as though it weren't 2400 hours. "Having trouble sleeping? I can give you something for that."

"Oh no, Doctor, I just-I knew you'd be awake," Aria said, taking a seat on the other side of the desk.

Cameron smiled sheepishly. "I've only ever needed four hours of sleep since medical school. It drove my ex-husband to distraction."

"Is that why you're not married anymore?"

Aria realized it was an incredibly inappropriate question as soon as the words escaped her mouth. Cameron, however, didn't seem to notice.

"Aw, there's lots of reasons we're not married anymore," she answered. "Is there something you wanted to talk about, Captain?"

"Not really," she answered honestly. "I just didn't want to be alone in that ridiculously over-sized room."

Cameron laughed and nodded her agreement.

"So, did you meet our new officers?" Aria asked after a brief silence.

"Yes, and Commander Kumok already submitted to a physical-he's healthy as a horse, by the way-and Lt. Vorik said he would come by tomorrow afternoon, his duties permitting. I couldn't get Lt. Rozshenko to commit to a date, though."

"Yeah, he's stubborn," Aria said, smiling, "and a little wary of doctors. He's a lot like his dad, though he'd never admit it."

"Do you know his father at all?"

"Oh, yeah. His dad was my boss for the better part of two years while I was at the Federation embassy on Qo'Nos," Aria answered. "It was my first real assignment after marinating on Earth for two years."

"So you were just eighteen when you went, then?"

Aria nodded. "Seems like eons ago."

Cameron took a deep breath. "Captain, I probably shouldn't be bringing this up to you, but Starfleet Security is fairly certain Danny Kent is operating in the same area we soon will be."

"You're the second person to bring this up to me in the last couple of days, Doctor," Aria told her.

"Captain, I've read your medical records, and I know what he did to you, and I understand why you don't want the whole crew to know, but-"

"But what?" Aria asked angrily. "You think he has some sort of special power over me? Well, maybe he did when I was seventeen, stupid, and in love, but I'm not that person anymore. I haven't seen or spoken to Danny in over eight years, and rest assured, Doctor, that if we run across him in our mission, I will do _everything_ in my power to haul his ass back to Starfleet Command for his court martial. Is that clear, Dr. Wight?"

Cameron nodded. "As glass, Captain. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have questioned your judgement like that."

"I'll see you in the morning, Doctor," Aria said as she quickly left sickbay.

By the time she got back to her quarters, she felt the overwhelming urge to break something. Unfortunately, nothing breakable was close at hand. She took several deep breaths before collapsing onto her couch.

Three hours later, she woke up from a chill. She hadn't bothered to cover herself up on the couch because she hadn't intended to fall asleep. Instead of trying to get some more sleep, which would be useless as that point, she decided to play with her hair, an activity that had always relaxed her.

She ran the brush through her long, brown hair and thought of her mother. Arlena would often curl or braid Aria's hair. She told Aria she was special and strong and that she could accomplish anything. Aria figured that's what every mother said, but Arlena was not really her mother. Arlena _chose_ to love her, and that made her words all the more true.

Finding new resolve in her mother's words, Aria washed her face. Breathing deep, she parted her hair on the side and pulled it back into a low ponytail. Smiling, she went to her closet and pulled out her new uniform. It wasn't a standard issue, but it was still well within regulations. It had the same red, high-collared shirt, but only a black vest was worn over it, as opposed to a jacket, and a knee-length, A-line skirt as opposed to slacks. It was, admittedly, old-fashioned, but Aria loved history, and so it suited her.

As Aria pulled on her boots, the computer chimed, "The time is now oh-six-hundred-hours."

"Thank you," Aria said, even though the computer didn't care about her manners.

She then stood in front of the replicator with her hands on her hips considering what to get for breakfast. "Computer," she began after much deliberation, "one rachtijino, double sweet, a bowl of oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon, and a buttermilk biscuit with grape jelly."

She had plenty of time to enjoy her breakfast and she savored every minute of peace. She supposed this would be the last peaceful breakfast she'd have until she gave up starship life like Captain Janovik. Her ship and crew would now take precedence over everything else in her life.

An hour later, she took a slow march to the bridge. As soon as the turbolift door opened, Commander Kumok stood, and called, "Captain on deck!" Aria resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the entire bridge crew snapped to attention and focused on her. She made her way to her chair in the raised center of the room and said, "All stations, report."

"All diagnostics are complete, Captain," Ian answered from the ops station in the fore section of the bridge.

"Um, all sensors are functioning within normal parameters," Kana added from the science station on the port side.

"Weapons and shields are online," Alexander reported from the rear.

"Impulse and warp engines are ready at your disposal, Captain," Vorik said from his starbord engineering station.

"All supplies are accounted for," Cameron said from Aria's immediate left.

"As are all personnel," Kumok finished from her right.

"The space dock's ready to release mooring clamps on your command, Captain," Wesley informed her from his station next to Ian's.

"By all means, Lt. Crusher, give them the word," Aria said, taking her chair. It was much more comfortable than she thought it would be. "Once we're clear, set a course for Deep Space Nine and engage at warp six."

"Yes, Sir," Wesley answered happily.

Aria turned to her first officer. "Do me a favor, and make sure everyone stops shouting when I walk into a room."

Kumok smiled brightly which left only slits in place of his eyes. "Of course, Sir."

"Well, I guess now the _real_ adventure begins."


End file.
